Bath tub with cascading inlet means



Nov. 17, 1964 H. R. HOLTMAN 3,156,931

BATH TUB WITH CASGADING INLET MEANS Filed Aug. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. M64904 W Mean) BY L3 mam.

Nov. 17, 1964 H. R. HOLTMAN BATH TUB WITH CASCADING INLET MEANS Filed Aug. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 38 FTe. 6.

/LJ L United States Patent 3,156,931 BATH WITH CASCADING INLET MEANS Harold R. I-Ieitrnan, 55 Lorna (Iourt, Twist St., Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republic oi South Africa Filed Aug. 1962, Ser. No. 215,836 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Aug. 24, 1%1, R 61/ 1,252 2 Elairns. (Cl. 4-466) This invention relates to baths, basins, and the like such as are used in bathrooms, toilet rooms, and elsewhere.

According to the invention, a wash water vessel such as a basin, bath, and the like has at least one water flowinlet opening through one of its walls, a drain outlet opening, an overflow outlet out of the container at a level not higher than the flow inlet opening, and connecting means outside the bath for connecting the inlet opening to a water supply.

In a bath, the inlet opening may be provided in a side wall at the end opposite the outlet opening, and at a suitable height, say about shoulder height, for a person sitting in the bath. The drain outlet opening and overflow are connected to the waste piping. A bath may have its inlet opening and the overflow disposed at opposite ends. The overflow may also be an opening through a defining wall of the bath and may be at the same end as the drain outlet.

The opposite end walls of the bath may slope outwardly from the floor of the bath, to have more or less the same slope, say about 110 to the floor of the bath. The drain outlet may be provided at one end of the bath, and then conveniently there is provided a downwardly sloping groove or recess within which the drain plug chain is receivable, so that it will not stand proud of the inner surface of the bath and so inconvenience a person sitting in the bath at that end.

The inlet opening may be round but if desired it may have transverse dimensions parallel to the width of the bath greater than the height of the opening. The opening may be oval or oblong, or any other convenient shape.

The connecting means may include a header chamber on the outside of the vessel and over the inlet opening into the vessel, which forms the outlet opening out of the header chamber. The header chamber may have a screw threaded bore for receiving the male screw threaded end of an inlet pipe, or it may have some other means for connection. The header chamber may be integrally cast with the vessel wall, or it may comprise a separate boX- like cover member secured sealingly to the outside of the vessel over the opening, or it may comprise a separate header member having a flange projecting outwardly from an opening and secured via the flange on the inside of the vessel wall and through an opening in the vessel wall, the flange being adapted to engage sealingly with the periphery of the opening along the inner surface of the vessel.

If desired, in a bath there may also be provided a hand shower attachment comprising a shower head or rose, a flexible hose, and a male fitting for co-operating sealingly with the inlet opening into the bath. The male fitting may be of resilient material such as rubber or a synthetic plastic and may comprise a plurality of shoulders along the fitting for engaging along the outside periphery of the inlet opening into the bath.

The invention extends also to the combination of a bath and a basin, both having inlet openings through their walls and connected to have a single set of controls and a hot and cold water mixer inlet and changeover valve, for delivering water into the basin or into the bath as desired. If desired, the taps, cocks, or valves may be placed to be out of view, for example in a recess in the supporting wall of the bath, or disposed partly under the wash basin.

The taps or the like can then be within reach of a person sitting in the bath.

The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows a broken sectional side elevation of a bath according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a sectional end elevation at IIII;

FIGURE 3 shows an outside plan view corresponding to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 shows a sectional end elevation at 1VIV;

FIGURE 5 shows a fragmentary end view at V-V;

FIGURE 6 shows a sectional side elevation of a. shower attachment plug;

FIGURE 7 shows a diagrammatic plan of a bathroom bath and basin layout;

FIGURE 8 shows a part three dimensional view of a bath and basin combination installation; and

FIGURE 9 shows a part three dimensional view of another bath and basin combination installation.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral It refers generally to a bath according to the invention having a floor 12, side walls 14, and end walls 16 definingangles of about with the floor 12. The bath has a surrounding flange 18, and a drain outlet opening 2t), and an overflow outlet 22 at one end; and a flow inlet opening 24 at the other end of the bath and at a level higher than the overflow outlet opening. The inlet opening 24 will always be above the maximum water level 25.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 3, 4 and 5, there is shown a header chamber 26, defined by flange 18, end wall 16 and walls 28 and cast integrally with the bath. The header chamber has two threaded inlet openings 29, the bath inlet opening 24 serving as its outlet opening. The one inlet opening 29 is for cold water and the other is for hot water. The end wall of the bath at the drain outlet end, has a groove 31} adapted to receive the pendant drain plug chain (not shown) to prevent inconvenience to a person sitting at that end.

FIGURE 6 shows the shower attachment plug 32 of resilient material, the plug having a nose part 34 looking ridge 36 and bore 38. The nose part 34 is receivable into the flow inlet opening 24, and the locking ridge 36 is adapted to engage with the lip of the opening 24.

FIGURE 7 shows diagrammatically a combination arrangement of a bath 10 and a basin 40. In such an arrangement flow control valve means for controlling the flow into the bath and basin may be mounted at 42, 44, or 46, as desired.

FIGURES 8 and 9 show different views of similar combinations. It will be noted that the inlet opening 24a of a basin is at a level higher than the overflow opening 22a. It will be noted further that the valve control means 48, 50, 52, may be arranged in an inconspicuous place. Valve 48 is for cold water, valve 50 for hot water and valve 52 is a change-over valve for changing flow of water from bath to basin and vice versa.

In use, one of the openings 29 in the header chamber is connected to a cold water supply, and the other to a hot water supply. The rate of cold and hot water flow into the header chamber is controlled by means of valve control means 48 and 50. The chamber acts as a mixer chamber for mixing the hot and the cold water.

In an arrangement according to the invention, few fittings are required and only low pressure concealed piping between controls and bath and basin inlet openings is necessary. Such an installation has good appearance and smooth lines unbroken by protruding taps because of the inconspicuous placing of the valve control means. It is also more easily cleaned than conventional bath and basin installations.

A bath in accordance with the invention is also safer because the absence of protruding taps or the like makes the risk of injury less if a person should slip and fall in the bath. This is of importance to children and aged people. There is a further advantage in having the flow inlet opening at one end of the bath and outlet openings at the other, in that the bath can be quickly and easily cleaned.

I claim:

1. A bath tub which includes at least one water flow inlet opening in one of its walls, and dimensioned and arranged to direct a' cascade of water into the vessel in a direction substantially normal to the plane of that Wall; a drain outlet opening; an overflow outlet from the vessel, the water flow inlet opening being on a level at least (as high as the overflow outlet; and connection means outside the bath for connecting the inlet opening to a water supply 2. A bath tub which includes at least one Water flow inlet opening in one of its walls, and dimensioned and arranged to direct a cascade of Water into the vessel in a direction substantially normal to the plane of that wall; a drain outlet opening; an overflow outlet from the vessel at a level lower than the inlet opening; connection means outside the bath for connecting the inlet opening to a Water supply; and having an outwardly projecting rim; and in which there is provided a presure header chamber on the outside of the vessel and integral with a wall of the vessel and over the inlet opening into the vessel, one

wall of the pressure header chamber being defined by the wall of the bath, and a second wall of the pressure header chamber being defined by the rim of that Wall of the bath, the pressure header chamber having at least one inlet opening into it, the flow inlet opening into the vessel being an outlet opening out of the pressure header chamber;

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 252,074 Burke Jan. 10, 1882 308,307 Deegan Nov. 18, 1884 509,353 Austin Nov. 28, 1893 954,680 Kenney n Apr. 12, 1910 962,240 Neal June 21, 1910 1,038,799 'Swyney Sept. 17, 1912 1,107,817 McAuliffe Aug. 18, 1914 1,212,659 Maycornber Jan. 16, 1917 1,426,519 Swift Aug. 22, 1922 1,781,325 Dov/ling Nov. 11, 1930 1,891,680 Meldahl Dec. 20, 1932 1,947,250 Davison et al; Feb. 13, 1934 2,079,739 Houseweller May 11, 1937. 2,150,531 Watt Mar. 14, 1939 2,405,849 Riker Aug. 13, 1946 2,430,297 Lombardi Nov. 4, 1947 2,799,025 Kepler July 16, 1957 3,010,116 Cowley Iov. 28, 1961 

1. A BATH TUB WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST ONE WATER FLOW INLET OPENING IN ONE OF ITS WALLS, AND DIMENSIONED AND ARRANGED TO DIRECT A CASCADE OF WATER INTO THE VESSEL IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF THAT WALL; A DRAIN OUTLET OPENING; AN OVERFLOW OUTLET FROM THE VESSEL, THE WATER FLOW INLET OPENING BEING ON A LEVEL AT LEAST AS HIGH AS THE OVERFLOW OUTLET; AND CONNECTION MEANS OUTSIDE THE BATH FOR CONNECTING THE INLET OPENING TO A WATER SUPPLY. 